This invention relates generally to water remediation systems.
There is a well recognized need to clean-up contaminants that exist in ground and surface water. In particular, there is one type of contamination problem which widely exists, that is, the contamination of surface waters or subsurface waters which find their way to the surface such as, for example, in a contaminated spring. Such surface waters may be contaminated with various constituents including volatile hydrocarbons, such as chlorinated hydrocarbons including trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE).
According to an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for treatment of contaminated water includes a container divided into at least two chambers by a wall that partially separates the two chambers, the containing having an inlet at a first one of the chambers and an outlet at a second one of the chambers. The apparatus also includes a first microporous diffuser disposed in a first one of the chambers of the container and arranged to receive a decontaminating gaseous agent and a second microporous diffuser disposed in a second one of the chambers and arranged to receive air.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a spring box apparatus for treatment of contaminated groundwater includes a container divided into a plurality of partially closed chambers by a plurality of walls each of which partially separates adjacent chambers and a plurality of microporous diffusers arranged in the corresponding plurality of chambers, with a first portion of the microporous diffusers coupled to a gaseous decontamination agent source, and a remaining portion of the microporous diffuser being coupled to an air source.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an method of treating groundwater received from a spring includes introducing the groundwater into a spring box having at least one microporous diffuser disposed therein, said microporous diffuser delivering microfine bubbles containing air/ozone to the water introduced into the box.